Firearm



March 19., 1935.

F. F. BURTON ET AL EIREARM March 19, 1935. F. F. BURTON ET AL 1,994,564

` y I FIREARM Filed Jan. 13, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 arch 19, 1935. F. F. BURTON ET AL FIREARM Filed Jan. 15.11933 3 sheets-sheet 5 Patented Mar. 19, 1935 N wUIJITED ,STATES PATENT Ormaf A `FI'REARM y Frank F. Burton; Mount Cameranu Yharry L. Crockett, New Haven, Conn.; assignorsto Weinchester Repeating ArmsCompany; New Haven, Corin., a corporation of Maryland` l Application January .13,

1933, seriiisl' csilsoc s claims?V (or. L12-rz) `.This invention relates to an improvement firearms and particularly to that .class of firearmshaving breech-bolts or equivalentmembe'rs `which reciprocate longitudinally of'the arm. In

Y 5 some of its phases, as will appear fromth'efollowing, our invention relates more' particularly to repeatingrearms, though not sc limitedr,

. Une Acf the objects of our present invention is to provide a firearm having` superior means for ejecting empty shells therefrom, which means will beeiiectiv'e when the breech-mechanism is operated rapidly aswell as whenethefsame is operated slowly. .5 l

Another object of our invention is to provide `a tubular-magazine repeating iirearm having means for insuring the transferof cartridges from the 4tubular-magazine to the. cartridge chambenwhich means will be effective when the breech-mechanismv is operated with extreme rapidity as well as when the same is operated slowly.V

A furtherobject of our invention, is toV provide a tubular-magazine repeating rearm having automatic means for coupling a cartridge to' .the bolt or like member of the arm, to insure its positive movementY out ofthe magazine preparalar magazinethereof, is mounted inasimple, reliable and convenient manner.

Otherobjects will appear, to those skilled in the art,` from the following, taken in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings. L" i Inthe accompanying'drawings: Fig. 1 is a broken view inside elevation of-on form which a `rearm embodying our invention may assume; i

Fig. 2 is a broken detail viewin transverse section, taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, and showing the positions which the `partslassume when the breech-bolt is in its closed and locked position;- Fig. 3 `is a similar view, butshowing the parts inthe positions which they assumewhen the action-slide is partially moved rearwardly orunlocking the bolt, preparatory to retiringthefsame rearwardly;

Fig. 4 is a similar view,'hut showing thefparts in the positions which` they assume when theb'olt is in its fully retired position;

Fig. 5 is a broken .detail view in` transverse sec;-

"empty cartridge;

FighG is a,similari/ieu?,` but showing the parts in the positions which they assume when the bolt ismoved'into a vposition'approaching the limit,

ofits rearwardfmovement; x

Fig. 7 is asimilar view, but showing the parts in theV positions which they assume' when the ejector-operating plunger has acted toY move `the ejector longitudinally forward and to rock the forward end thereof inwardly `:for ejecting an Fig.Y 8 is a broken View of the central portion ofthe firearm, mainly in side elevation, but with the receiver shown in vertical longitudinal section, the bolt being shown at thev limit of itsrearward travel; 1 c

Fig. 9 is a View corresponding to Fig. 8, but showing the boltadvanced part way of its forward travel; n A Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 10--10of Fig. 9; Y Y. Y

Fig. 11 is a View in front end elevation of the breech-bolt detached,v 'butshown Vonf a larger scale;

Fig. 12' is a broken perspective view of the action-slide detached;`

Fig. 13 is a perspective View of the action-slidesleeve detached; u

Fig. 1,4 is a perspective view of the ejector detachedgV one-b y-.one releaseof cartridges from the tubu- Fig. 1'5`is a perspective view of the cartridgeextractor, detached; f

Fig. 16 is Vasimilar view of the unit comprising thel cartridge-.stopand its mounting-sleeve;

Fig. 17 is a corresponding view ofV the cartridge-retractor detached; and j Fig. 18 is a corresponding view of the ejectoroperating plunger; detached.

\ The particular tubular-magazine repeating rifle herein chosen for the illustration of our in- Y vention includes `the usual receiver feature 10,

havingV a chamber 11 formed therein,. the bottom of which latter is closed by a guard-plate 12 forming afeature of, andiorwardly extending from the butt-stock 13. The `said guard-plate is formed with the usual trigger-guard loop 14 formed' integral therewithY and `housing in the usual marinera trigger 15. Y

Theintegral forward wall 16 ofi' the receiverV 10` is` formedr near its upper end with an inter* nally-threaded bore 17 receiving'the externallythreaded shank 18'of a barrel 19. Immediately below'gthe threaded bore-.17, just referredto, the

-frontwallfllof thelreceiverlo formed with a non" faken-0,11" the line-i595" of Fig. 1, Wahine bolt f inits closednposition; Y 1 v Y parallel bore into which is snugly fitted a 22 of usual construction andhaving telescopically fitted within it ari-inner magazine-tube 23. The inner magazine-tube 23 just referred to is adapted to accommodate within it a seriesof cartridges A24 arranged end to end, as shown, and normally pressed rearwardly by a spring-actuatedplunger 25 in accordance with the usualtpractice in rearms of the typetowhich our inventionre'lates Slidably mounted 'upon the outer magazinetube 22, intermediate the ends thereof, is-a reciprocating operating-handle'26 having installed in its rear end a sleeve 27 securedin place therein by complementary screws 28-28. V

The sleeve 27, just above'referred to, 1s formed with a transverse coupling-groove 29 resulting in the formation, at the rear end of the said sleeve,

of a'coupling-rib 30. Forinterengagement with the groove and rib 29and '30 respectively of .the sleeve 27, 'the forward 'en`d5 of v,av bar-like actionslide 31 has its forward lend provided 'with a transverse coupling-groove 32 receiving the coupling-rib of the said sleeve and resulting in the 4formation of a 'laterally-offsetting couplingrib 33`adaptedr to enter the vcoupling-groove 29 in the said sleeve. Y

v By entering the rib 33 into thegroove 29 and the Vrib 30 into the groove 32, the sleeve 27, and hence the operating-handle 26, is coupled to the action-slide 31 for concurrent reciprocating movement. When lonce'the sleeve 27 vand -the forward end of the action-slide 31 have been interenga'ged, fas just described, and tted within the interiorl 'of the operating-handle 26, the said parts `are securely interlocked .against `unintentional displacement by'locking'the sleeve 27 in place by means of the screws 28-28 before described. Y K

The rear end of the action-slide 31 passes 'rearwardly through an opening 34 formed in the front wall 16 of the receiver 10 immediately to one-side of the bore 20 therein, and isguided thereby as well as by a longitudinal groove35 formed lin the side wall 36 of the said receiver. Y

The lrear portion of the action-slide 31 is formed in its inner face with an upwardlyand `rearwardly-inclined bolt-operating groove 37, the rear wall o f which groove terminates inV a horizontal bolt-locking shou1der`38formed upon the said action-slide, as clearly shown in Fig. 12. Slightly forward of the bolt-operating groove 37, the inner face of the action-slide is transversely grooved to provide a shoulder 39 adapted, as will hereinafter appear, to control the transverse rocking movement of a cartridge-retractor'lt).

A Housed within the chamber 11 ofthe receiver 10 is a longitudinally-slidable and verticallyrocking breech-bolt41 having a'laterally-oisettingl lugV 42, which has its front and'rear-walls inclined for entry into-the` inclined bolt-operating groove 37, in the'action-slide 3l, and adapted to have its `under face engaged by the'bolt-locking shoulder 38 of the said slide, as `-vwillY hereinafter appear. f Y

The cartridge-retractor 40, "hereiribefore `referred to,fis mounted in a longitudinal groove 43 formed inthe left'side of thebolt 41 adjacent theforward end thereof, in atransverse plane aligned with thefaxisvof theim'arga'zine-tubes-V 22 and 23. The saidy retractor,i as will-hereinafter appear, is designed to interlock a cartridge with the bolt and insure its retraction from the tubular-magazine when the bolt is moved rearwardly and, for the purpose described, is mounted in the -end of a helical spring 47, the inner end of which latter is seated in a socket 48 formed' in the breech-bolt 41 and leading inwardly from the bottom of the groove 43 therein, in line with the Vgroove 46 in the retractor 40; The said spring 47 exerts a constant effort to swing the cartridgeretractor ina clockwise direction, so as to move Vits nose inwardly. For the purpose of V `lswingingthe retractor 40 in a counterclockwise direction vfor retiring its nose 45, we form rthe said retractor at its outer rear corner with a camlsurface 49'engageable with the shoulder 39, before described, on the action-slide 31.

Vmounting-bushingor -sleeve 21 located in longitudinal alignment with the Vcartridge-retractor 40, before referred to. The said cartridge-stop is pivotally'mounted at its forward Yend in the said sleeve 21 by means of a pivot-pin 52,'and is formed at its rear end with a head-portionr 53, which latter is formed at its outer forward corner and its innerforward corner respectively with inclined cam-surfaces54 and 55. The cam-surface .54, just referred to, is adapted to be engaged by an inclined cam-surface 56 formed on the inner face ofthe'action-slide 31 for being positively swung inwardly into its cartridge-stopping position, -as will hereinafter appear. The cam-surface of the stop 50 is adapted to be engaged by the head of a cartridge for checking the rear-V rother occasions, intovv a clearance or cartridgereleasing position as will hereinafter appear. Y

l The' forward face of the bolt 41 is formed with a vertically-extending undercut cartridge-guideway 57 adapted to successively receive the heads vof cartridges as the same are rearwardly fed'from the tubular-magazine, rand toV guide each cartridge successively upward during the forward movement'of the bolt 41, into alignment with the cartridge-chamber 58 in the barrel 19, before referred to. To permit theiinitial axialentry of thehead of a cartridge into the guide-way 57, the lower end thereof is cut away as at l59,`as clearly shown in Fig. 11.

For the purpose of lifting each cartridge successively upward into line with the cartridgechamber 58 as just described, we may employ any suitable mechanism for that purpose, herein requiring no detailed 'description other than to say vthat inthe instance shown; we employ a cartridge-'lifter 60, pivotally mounted in the guardplate 12 and adapted to be controlled in its verticalmovement by the movement of the breech- `bolt 41in accordance with usual practice.

As each successive cartridge is lifted upwardly bythejmember 60 into alignment with the cartridge-chamber 58, its' head is positioned beneath, so to speak,'the extracting-nose 61y of a pivotal extractor 62 mounted with .capacity for rocking the forward end of the breech-bolt 4l in a` plane laterally .in line with `the-axis of the cartridgechamber 58. The said extractor isgp'rovided with referred to. Fo-iith'e purposeof swinging the extractor. 62 in a" conu nterclockwise direction and engagement vwith" the cartridge, we'vemploy a plunger 66 engaging the-rear face ofthe said extractor and reciprocating in'a longitudinal bore 6'7 leading rearwardly out ofthe rear endof the forwardly;

groove 63 and housing a helical V"spring` which exerts a constant `effort to move the said plunger For'the purpose of laterally ejecting anv empty VwardfyA Y Y forward inner-corner ofthe ejector 69 is cartridge, after the samehas beenextracted from Vthefcartridgechamber 58 by the-extractor 62, we 'employ a bar-like `ejector 69 mountedin ajlongi-4 `tudinal groove 70 formed in Vtheleft-side` wallV of 'the breech-boltlil and having capacity for both longitudinal bodilymovement and lateral rocking niovement in the said groove. In its outer edge',

the-ejector 69 is formed with a notch '71receiving further'formed vrearwardly of the said shoulder aftransverseclearance-notch. 'I'he rear end of the ejector 69 isrounded to'fo-rm an in` fwardlyand forwardly-sloping cam-surface '76 for engagement with the inclined forwardface ofthe head''? of an ejector-operatingplunger '78 located axially inline with the said ejector and reciprocating ina longitudinal bore '79 formed in the upstanding portion 80 vof theguard-,platel 12. Afhelical spring 81, located in therbore '79 rearwardly ofthe plunger`78, exerts a constant effort to move the latter forwardly for the purpose aswillhereinafterappear, andit will be noted that the said spring 81 is of greater strength than the spring '73, before referred to, so 4as toV have capacity for overcoming the same,V as will hereinafter appear.l 'Ifo limit the forward movement of the ejector-operating plunger '78, the' under coY face of; the same is formed with a groove 82"-receiving a transverse stop-'pin 83.Y

Thefbreech-bolt 'fil carries'the usual'longitudinally-arranged firing-pin- 84 adapted to beA struck for ring `a cartridge by a'pivotalhjammer,

8 5Lcontrolled by the trigger 15, before referred to.

Before describing the detail operation Y of the rifle herein chosenA fortheillustrationfof our invention, attention may be'called` to the -fact that o the lug 42, Voffsetting from the breech-'bolt {i1-and.A

interengaging` with the inclinedV-bolt-operating i groove 3'7 in the action-slide 31, serves to provide what might be termed a lost-motion connection between the said actionslide and the said bolt,

inasmuch fas the initial rearward movement of the-action-slide does not immediately effect theV unlocking-movementof the bolt, as willfbe seen from the following. i i

Let it be'presumed that the gun has `been fired and that the' bolt is still in its closed and locked position-'as shown,` for instance, inFig's. 2 and 5 of the drawings. i

the operating-handle 26to move the same rearwardly, the said motion willxcorrespondingly vaffect the action-slide 31 and cause the bolt-locking shoulder 38 thereon to ride rearwardlyfrom under the `lug 42: of the breech-bolt 41without effecting Now, when' a rearward" draft is exerted upon the movement of the said bolt until the inclined. I

d :forward wall of the bolt-operating groove V3'7 enhence move its `"extractor-.nose `61 yinwardly for.

gages withY the similarly-inclined forward wall of thesaicl lug 42. During this motion just described, inV which the bolt remains stationary, the cam-surface 56 in the action-slide .will act against the ,inclinedv Cain-surface 540i' the cartridge-stop andV swing the same inwardly, so as to interpose 'I'he initial movement. ofthe action-slide now` being described will also permit the cartridgeretractor 40 to swing inra clockwise direction under the urge of the spring L1'7 to hoo-k its re- `tracting-nose 45 over the forward side of the head of 4therearmostcartridgeof vthe column thereof- 'already'referred to, so as to couple the cartridge in question to the breech-bolt 41to insure its rearward travel therewith. This clockwise swinging of the cartridge-retractor is permitted by the rearward movement of the shoulder 39 on the action-slide 3l which permits the inclined camsurface 49 ofthe retractor to slide thereover. The n parts will now have assumedthe positions `in which they are shownin Fig. 3V which it will be noted that the nose 45 ofthe retractor now forms in effect a continuation o-f'the front face of one of the complementary channels which togethe'rlrc'onstitutethe vertically-extending undercut cartridge-guide-way 5'7 in the forward face of the breech-bolt 41. j I' Now the 'further rearward movement v of theV vaction-slide 31will cause Vthe inclined forward wall of the bolt-operating groove 3'7 therein to cam the lug 4270i the bolt 41 downwardly and hence unlock the bolt and immediately thereafter slide the same rearwardly with the effect vof carry-ing along with it the particular cartridge with which the retracto-r 451s at the time engaged and also the empty cartridge from' the cartridgechamber 58 with whichl the extractor 62 is at` the time engaged. v

' Assoon as the empty-cartridge has been sufficiently withdrawn from thev cartridg'e-chamberv 58 as above described, it will be shifted slightly laterally bythe urge of the extractor 62,V with thev effect .of seating the periphery of its head in an arcuate undercut 5'7a leading laterally out of the Vvertical guide-way 57 in thebolt, adjacent the to the resistance of the spring'Sljof bodily shifting-.the said ejector relatively forwardly to engage the rear .wall of its L-shapedV cartridge-ejecting shoulder '74 with'the rear face of the head of the' empty cartridge. This movement of the ejector serves to slightly compress the spring '73; vAs' soon as the ejector is moved into engagement-with the `empty cartridge as just described, the relative `forward vmovement of therejector will be halted and .the same will continue to travel rearwardiy' withl the breech-boit 41, with 'the einer of moving the ejector-operating plunger 78rearwardly against the'counterurge of the spring 81,

' which will be thus compressed. As soon as rthe resistance' oiered by the plunger 78 to the rearward travel of the ejector is sufficient to overcome the resistance. to displacement which is offered by the engagement of the head of the empty cartridge with theunderci1t57a, the said ejector 69 will be simultaneously snapped forward bodily and' at the same time have its rear l end outwardly urged and its forward end inwardly urged 'due to its pivotal contact with the-corner 10'n in the receiver 10, so as tov yieldingly maintain both walls of the L-shaped cartridgeejecting shoulder 74 oi the ejector in engagement with the adjacent portions of' the vhead 'of thel empty cartridge asthe same pivots around the hooker the extractor 62, as clearly shown in Fig. 7. Y

By the combined forward bodily movement and rocking movement of the ejector 69 as just above Vdescribed, a uniformand reliable ejection of emptycartridges is effected, since the forward end of the ejector exerts both forward and lateral pressure on the empty cartridge until vthe instant the same is flipped outwardly through anV ejection-opening 10@ in the side wall of the receiver 10.

The bolt may now be moved forwardly by means of the operating-handle 26 and actionslide 31, during which forward movement the cartridge-lifter 60 will serve to lift the cartridge now being held by the `cartridge-.retractor 40 and elevate the said cartridge by sliding its head-portion through the cartridge-guide-way 57 inthe forward face ofthe bolt and into alignment with the cartridge-chamber 58 and into engagement with the extractor 62. The continued forward movementroi` the action-slide and bolt will causethe introduction of the now-elevated cartridge into the cartridge-chamber 58 and'efiect the upward tilting'and lolciring or"V the bolt, in the usual manner of slide-action iirearrns.'V

AfterVV the `bolt has been-moved tothe limit of, its forward movement, 'the action-slide 31 will lock the same by causing its bolt-locking shoulder 38 to ride under the lug 42 and will also effect the c'ountercloclrwise' swinging movement of thev retractor 49 to retire the nose k45'thereof out or Vthe path of the headof the rearrnost cartridge This countercloclrwiseV in the tubular-magazine. movement of the retractor just Ydescribed is eiected by the engagement of the shoulder 39 of the'action-slide with the cam-surface i9 of Vthe retractor and takes place substantially concurrently with the movement of the cam-surface 56 into alignment with the head of the cartridgestop 50 to permit the same to be forcibly swung` It will be understood by those skilled inv theV Vart that our invention may assume varied physi-v -armatori cal forms without departing jfro'm our inventive concept, and we, therefore, do notflimit our invention to the specific embodiment herein choseri for illustration. q

We claim:v Y 1. In va'irearm, the combination with `a reciprocating 4breech-bolt; a cartridge-magazine; a cartridge-retractor carried by the said breechbolt to successively couple cartridges thereto; and manual operating-means for the said breech-bolt having limitedV movement' relative thereto, and

carrying'controlling-means positioned to control the movement of the said cartridge-retractor during the relative movement of therrsaid operatingmeans with respectlto the said breech-bolt.

2. In a firearm, the combination with a reciprocating breech-bolt; a cartridge-magazine; v a cartridge-retractor carried by the said breechbolt to successively couple cartridges thereto spring-means urging the said cartridge-retractorl into engagement with a cartridge; and manual operating-means for thesaid breech-bolt having limited movement relative thereto and carrying controlling-means'positioned to retire thesaid cartridge-retractor during the relative movement of the said manual operating-means with respect to the said breech-bolt. l

3. In a rearm, the combination with a recip-' rocating breech-bolt; a cartridge-magazine; a

cartridge-retractor carried by the said .breeche bolt to successively couple cartridges thereto; rvand a reciprocating action-slide for the said breechbolt, having limited movement relative thereto, vand carrying controlling-means positioned yto control the movement of the said cartridge-retractor during the relative movement of the said action-slide with respect tothe said breech-bolt.

4;. In a firearm, the combination with al reciprocating breech-bolt; a cartridge-magazine; a cartridge-retractor carried vby the said bolt .to successively couplel cartridges thereto; springmeans urging the said cartridge-retractor intoy engagement with a cartridge; and a manuallyoperable reciprocating action-slide for thel said breech-bolt having limited movement relative thereto and carrying controlling-meansV positioned to retire the said cartridge-retractor during the relative movement of the said actionslide with'respect to the said breech-bolt.

5. In a rearm, the combination with a-reciprocating breech-bolt; a cartridge-magazine; la

pivotal cartridge-retractor carriedby the said breech-bolt to successively couple lcartridges thereto; and manual operating-means for .the

said breech-bolt having limited movement relative thereto, and carrying controlling-means positioned to control the movement of the'saidvpivotal cartridg'e-retra'ctor during the relative movement of the said operating-means with respect to the saidbreech-lriolt.l

6. In aA Vfirearm, the combination with a. re-

ciprocating breech-bolt; a cartridge-magazine; a

pivotal cartridge-retract'or carried lby the said` bolt to successively couple cartridges thereto;

spring-means urging the said pivotal cartridge-L retractor into engagemen with a cartridge; and manual operating-means lfor the said breech-bolt having limited movement relative thereto andA carrying controlling-means positioned to Vretire the; said pivotal ycartridge-retractor during the relative movement of the said manual operatingmeans with respect to the said breech-bolt.A

FRANK F. BURTON.

HARRY L; CRQCKETT; 

